Family Of Woman Injured In Plane Crash Thank Her Rescuers
Jul 26, 2020, 10:03 PM | Updated: Jul 13, 2023, 10:14 am
UPDATE: Mary Quintana died Monday from her injuries, authorities said.
Our original story continues below.
WEST JORDAN, Utah — The family of an elderly woman is thanking neighbors and the community for coming to her rescue after a small plane crashed into her home in West Jordan. They said she’s sedated and in critical condition in the burn unit, but she’s hanging on.
One by one, victims were pulled from the wreckage. Three adults and three children were aboard the plane, while 72-year-old Mary Quintana was inside her home.
“She’s still unconscious, heavily sedated,” said Mary’s brother, Joe Murillo. “This feels like a bad dream.”
Murillo said rescuers found Mary outside on her deck.
“It was a good thing she was on the deck because if she would have been in the kitchen, she would have never survived,” he said.
This is 72-year-old Mary Quintana. A plane crashed into her West Jordan home yesterday. She survived but is in critical condition. Her brother says she was on her deck at the time of the crash, which is the only reason he thinks she’s alive. #KSL #KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/dOV3U2g5xI
— Tania Dean (@taniadeanksl) July 27, 2020
Mary’s son, Chris, said he was shocked when he got a phone call from a neighbor.
“He goes, ‘Chris, a plane just crashed into your mom’s house. You better get over there and see how she’s doing,’ said Chris Quintana. “I go, ‘what?!'”
Firefighters went through the house Sunday to see if anything was salvageable.
Mary’s family said there’s almost nothing left.
“It wasn’t much. As you can see, the top is completely gutted out,” said Chris. “We lost everything there. I had some blankets that my mother made, and they’re gone.”
As for Mary’s injuries, Murillo said 50 percent of her body is burned, but she’s hanging on.
He’s grateful to neighbors who quickly rushed to her rescue when they heard the plane crash.
“I’m thankful for the neighbors and the community that came around that really helped my sister,” said Murillo. “If it hadn’t been for them, I probably wouldn’t have her right now.”
A lot of debris has piled up on top of the deck where Mary was found after the plane crashed, but it’s still semi intact.
Her brother said he thinks she was on it and that’s the only reason she’s still alive.
